The DawgBlawg is the Seattle P-I's blog for news and opinions about the University of Washington and its athletic programs. Obviously, our main point of emphasis will be football and basketball. If you're a Dawg fan, welcome aboard the blog, if you're a Cougar or Duck, we're sorry to hear that.

Q-and-A with Coach Dee Hawkes

Coach Hawkes had a lot to say this week. Of course, with Coach being a Coug and me being a Dawg, the conversation is always fun. The season has created a wild storyline full of twists and turns that all end tomorrow in Pullman.

Nathan Ware: Coach, what are your first thoughts about the game?

Coach Hawkes: The 2006 season has created a bumpy ride for both teams. It’s too bad that neither team had a bye week so that the players and coaches could have had some time off. What we have now is a game where the pressure to win is felt by both players and coaches. The hype surrounding this rivalry is everywhere. The supporters from both schools will accept nothing but hard work and effort from the players.

Nathan Ware: Not only have both teams have a rough season at times but they’ve both had a really tough week.

Coach Doba, don’t get used to having that trophy around…..

Coach Hawkes: We have seen a downward spiral for both teams. Head coaches see the things that go wrong, but often can’t fix them. Every week feels like the season for a head coach. However, the focus will not be about the Apple Cup this Saturday, but rather will be about the players busting their butts from the opening kickoff until there is no time left on the clock. The victory on the scoreboard will take care of itself as long as the team’s effort is sustained for 60 minutes.

Nathan Ware: What’s the most important factor in the game?

Coach Hawkes: The Apple Cup is a game of momentum, which is determined by how a team protects the ball and by its ability to capitalize on turnovers. The coaching brain trust of both programs have watched hundreds of hours of game film, looked at what success other teams have had, and then created their game plans. I think the Huskies will pressure QB Alex Brink in order to force him into making bad decisions.

Nathan Ware: Speaking of QB’s, what do you think about the UW QB situation?

Coach Hawkes: Due to the trickle-down situation for the Huskies QBs, WR Sonny Shackelford just might be found taking some snaps. You can look for the Cougars to use blitz packages to get to QB Carl Bonnell. If so, he will be limited in what he can do, and he would mainly hand off the ball. In this game, it is possible that the coordinators may go in at halftime and pull out all their trick plays in order to win the game.

Nathan Ware: Coach, are you going to give us a prediction?

Coach Hawkes: My prediction is sealed in an envelope, which will only be opened after the game is over.

Nathan Ware: Ok. I’ll bite. Washington 24, Washington State 21.

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If you’re interested in reading some of Coach Hawkes’ work, I recommend his book “Football’s Best Offensive Playbook”, which is available on Amazon.com. Coach Hawkes compiles some of the best plays from coaches all over the country including Bobby Bowden, Steve Spurrier, Dennis Erickson, and Mack Brown.